Apple officially sent out invitations Monday for its expected Jan. 27 event in San Francisco, where it is anticipated the company will introduce its new touchscreen tablet device.

According to Engadget the invitation was sent out Monday with the tagline: "Come see our latest creation." The included graphic has the Apple logo surrounded by colorful paint splatters. The event is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.

Earlier this month, Digital Daily first reported the final Wednesday, Jan. 27 date. The event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. That followed an earlier report that Apple had booked the stage at the center for multiple days that week.

Apple is expected to make a major product announcement at the event, which most believe will be its long-rumored tablet device, confirming a story first reported here in 2007. In addition, last July, AppleInsider first reported that the multi-touch, 10-inch successor to the Newton would arrive in early 2010.

In December, select iPhone developers were allegedly asked to prepare full-screen demos of their software for a product unveiling. It has been suggested that developers are working with a new version of the iPhone OS that allows software to be scaled to multiple screen sizes.

Various reports, including one from The Wall Street Journal, have said that though next week's event will serve as an official unveiling of the tablet, it will not be made available for sale until later this year. Sources have said that date would likely be around March.

For even more tablet-related coverage:

The inside track on Apple's tablet: a history of tablet computing
Apple's much anticipated tablet device coming early next year
Up next for Apple: the return of the Newton
Read even more on the Apple tablet in AppleInsider's extensive archives

I have been hoping that Apple will use all its retail stores when it announce new products. Imagine all the stores that has auditoriums will do live video streams of the event, and after your can buy or play with the new products.

After they can rerun the presentations and they can roll the product introduction videos and even developer classes.

Also if only they would make notifications to all iPhone owners and make live web casts available for them. That will stop so many people and generate amazing interest.

I'm really hoping for a new iPhone and a new lineup of MBP's, too. I could buy both, but I'm waiting on a refresh. I definitely am not buying an iPhone until the next release now, I've waited this long. I don't want a two year (~18 month) wait with a 3GS, for sure.

I have been hoping that Apple will use all its retail stores when it announce new products. Imagine all the stores that has auditoriums will do live video streams of the event, and after your can buy or play with the new products.

After they can rerun the presentations and they can roll the product introduction videos and even developer classes.

Also if only they would make notifications to all iPhone owners and make live web casts available for them. That will stop so many people and generate amazing interest.

According to Engadget the invitation was sent out Monday with the tagline: "Come see our latest creation." The included graphic has the Apple logo surrounded by colorful paint splatters. The event is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.

This is great!

Apple seems to have the best PR firm in the world. I'm hoping the tablet is insanely great.

Apple products has always been about value. The key drive of the iPod success was its simplicity and later with the ITMS and the easy 99cent per tract rigth to your iPod was the deal that transformed the iPod and apple from a computer company to a media company.

People was not buying CDs so much because of the web when the iPod came out and now all the media houses are dying since they cant sell their articles and in this recession the cable networks will have lots of people cutting their subscription. No one likes all the crap or comercials but pay to watch whatever show they like just like CDs.

Now if Steve has done his magic and made the publishing houses agree on a common plan where you can buy articles for: 9cent a pop and watch TV shows for 99cent per episode. Then the table will rule. All thru iTunes. So how I think that the tv shows will take much longer and will be a iTunes: table/mac/Apple TV/iPod product but magasines and news papers will be table/mac/pc only.

Now the table hardware and OS.
It will be a new kind of Mobile OS X but will bridge the Mac and the iPod Touch/iPhone.
Here is how I see the media event.

1. Status of how well the iPhone and iPod touch is doing

2. Status of App Store
So many apps, and Apple would like to make them more available.
On the Mac there is the Widgets and they will now be replaced with App Store apps. So now anyone with a mac can use the apps the love on the iPhone on their mac.
Also the widgets will be made available on the Mobile OS X 4.0. Just rebuild your app. (Fat binary/multiple versions in the app store)
App store on the Mac.

3. Intro Mobile OS X 4
The apps will via bonjour be able to connect with Mac Applications. ADOBE show a demo where the tool box will be an app on the iPhone so the switching tool can be done with the users left hand while using the mouse with the right hand.

4. Multitasking on the iPhone with widgets. They are very limited in resources and what they can do. Will make heavy use of notification and can display messages on the locked iPhone screen.

5. Computing reinvented (Steve said that at the company pep talk after the iPhone releasethat Apple will do that in 2010.remember? hard to google!)
The table. Will run all App store apps in normal mode tiled or in full screen mode.
All your document will follow you when you have mobile me. Use the table as a super touch pad with any mac. This will open the legions of iPhone app developers to mac development.

But there is more
The table when it pairs with a bluetooth keyboard/mouse will run all iLike and iWork as fullscreen applications (remember some of them have a windows mode and fullscreen mode).

So the table will have 3 modes of operation:
1. Normal Mobile OS X mode running app store apps. Here you can use the touch screen keyboard and do anotations in the App store versions of iLIfe and iWork apps.
2. Input mode with keyboard/Mouse here it will be one Mac app at a time in fullscreen mode. Can only be installed via the app store (Moving to a app store for all mac apps in 1-2 years time)
3. Slave mode where it works as a super touch pad for the mac.

It might have a read button like the home button that when pressed would make it track your eyes.

And last but the killer.
When in Normal mode you can interact with it with multivision. A subset of the multitouch gestures by simply tracking your eyes. When you read it will automaticaly scroll the text and you can go back and forward with eye blinks.

That all of my pure speculationsI would buy one.

Also
1. The table with its screen size will be great for games.
2. The components size and price of the iPhone will be so low that a slightly smaller iPhone that will be like the 3G model at a low price will go head on with the midrange phone from the old guard.
At the traditional September iPod event the iPod touch will be cheaper and a 7 big brother that runs all the table games will be introduced.

I just bought a MacBook Pro for Christmas, mid September 2009 a 24" iMac and in-between that, a new iPod Touch. I think I'll wait and see what it's all about. Either way, I'm sure Apple still likes me.

If you want to call me names, tell me to shut up and f off...you will be ignored. I WILL NOT BE BULLIED!!

What are we to make of the graphics? Is it some kind of Rorschach Test?

Emerging from and replacing the confusion of multiple [paint splatters], Apple stands on the solid background of [a calming color], shining with a simple, familiar white purity which cuts through ALL the clutter.

It is a very powerful and evocative image. Apple must have just about the best PR firm in the world.

Really the invitation in no way implies a tablet. Maybe Apple just wants to remain cryptic about it until the last second or there will not be a tablet announcement. If there is no tablet announcement, I have to say that if Apple is criticized for not making one, those doing the complaining need to keep in mind that Apple has never said it will bring such a product to market.

In any case, what I really want is an update on the cinema displays including a price reduction. I'm in the market for a monitor and I'm waiting until Jan. 27 in the hope that it will pay off. Any one know the odds of that happening?

I'm really hoping for a new iPhone and a new lineup of MBP's, too. I could buy both, but I'm waiting on a refresh. I definitely am not buying an iPhone until the next release now, I've waited this long. I don't want a two year (~18 month) wait with a 3GS, for sure.

well, the official invite says "come see our latest CREATION". That would tell me that they only intend to show ONE (1) NEW product. Now that may be symatics becuase technically what you describe are more UPDATES to exisitng products. I don't see an iPHone mini anytime soon...

Apple products has always been about value. The key drive of the iPod success was its simplicity and later with the ITMS and the easy 99cent per tract rigth to your iPod was the deal that transformed the iPod and apple from a computer company to a media company.

People was not buying CD’s so much because of the web when the iPod came out and now all the media houses are dying since they can’t sell their articles and in this recession the cable networks will have lots of people cutting their subscription. No one likes all the crap or comercials but pay to watch whatever show they like… just like CD’s.

Now if Steve has done his magic and made the publishing houses agree on a common plan where you can buy articles for: 9cent a pop and watch TV shows for 99cent per episode. Then the table will rule. All thru iTunes. So how I think that the tv shows will take much longer and will be a iTunes: table/mac/Apple TV/iPod product but magasines and news papers will be table/mac/pc only.

Now the table hardware and OS….
It will be a new kind of Mobile OS X but will bridge the Mac and the iPod Touch/iPhone.
Here is how I see the media event.

1. Status of how well the iPhone and iPod touch is doing

2. Status of App Store
So many apps, and Apple would like to make them more available.
On the Mac there is the Widgets and they will now be replaced with App Store apps. So now anyone with a mac can use the apps the love on the iPhone on their mac.
Also the widgets will be made available on the Mobile OS X 4.0. Just rebuild your app. (Fat binary/multiple versions in the app store)
App store on the Mac.

3. Intro Mobile OS X 4
The apps will via bonjour be able to connect with Mac Applications. ADOBE show a demo where the tool box will be an app on the iPhone so the switching tool can be done with the users left hand while using the mouse with the right hand.

4. Multitasking on the iPhone with widgets. They are very limited in resources and what they can do. Will make heavy use of notification and can display messages on the locked iPhone screen.

5. Computing reinvented (Steve said that at the company pep talk after the iPhone release…that Apple will do that in 2010….remember? hard to google!)
The table. Will run all App store apps in normal mode tiled or in full screen mode.
All your document will follow you when you have mobile me. Use the table as a super touch pad with any mac. This will open the legions of iPhone app developers to mac development.

But there is more…
The table when it pairs with a bluetooth keyboard/mouse will run all iLike and iWork as fullscreen applications (remember some of them have a windows mode and fullscreen mode).

So the table will have 3 modes of operation:
1. Normal Mobile OS X mode running app store apps. Here you can use the touch screen keyboard and do anotations in the App store versions of iLIfe and iWork apps.
2. Input mode with keyboard/Mouse here it will be one Mac app at a time in fullscreen mode. Can only be installed via the app store (Moving to a app store for all mac apps in 1-2 years time)
3. Slave mode where it works as a super touch pad for the mac.

It might have a read button like the home button that when pressed would make it track your eyes.

And last but the killer….
When in Normal mode you can interact with it with multivision. A subset of the multitouch gestures by simply tracking your eyes. When you read it will automaticaly scroll the text and you can go back and forward with eye blinks.

That all of my pure speculations…I would buy one.

Also
1. The table with its screen size will be great for games.
2. The components size and price of the iPhone will be so low that a slightly smaller iPhone that will be like the 3G model at a low price will go head on with the midrange phone from the old guard.
At the traditional September iPod event the iPod touch will be cheaper and a 7” big brother that runs all the table games will be introduced.

Regards

as much as i hate the analogy...I'M TOTALY DRINKING THIS KOOL-AID MAN!. This is exactly what the Table(t) should be. I guess we'll find out in 10 days if you're right. I hope you are!

However, the multi-vision? I know face-recognition software is getting better but this would have to be pretty sophisicated to do what you describe.

Everybody knows what a Rorschach Test is, right? It's where you look at a bunch of blotches and tell the nice man what you see. I see a yellow birdie being devoured by a purple crocodile. The nice man will be taking me back to my rubber room very soon now.

Honestly, I think Apple is having us on just a little. I think this is, literally, a Rorschach Test. Everybody has seen what they wanted to see in all the rumors, so they put out an announcement that looks like a Rorschach Test. I'd say, somebody at Apple has a sense of humor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by addabox

Heh. I guess it is a Rorschach Test, in that we're all seeing what we want to see.